"That's my biggest worry": Vanderbilt's success stresses NFL veteran who promised paid trip to Las Vegas

Diego Pavia leads the Vanderbilt Commodores (5-2, 2-1, SEC) and there's a chill in the air in Tennessee this 2024 college football season. The hardcore fans smell postseason bowl eligibility and those who dare to dream big can see the Commodores winning the SEC championship.

Amidst the optimism surrounding the team, former NFL linebacker and co-host of the "Bussin' With the Boys" podcast, Will Compton, is having nightmares. While he wants Pavia and Vanderbilt to succeed, the 35-year-old Missouri native worries about his bet with the Commodores that if they won the SEC, he would have to take them to an all-expense paid trip to Vegas.

"Personally I'm afraid of Pavia. I'm afraid of him. That's my biggest worry now (taking the team to Vegas)."

"They [Vanderbilt] just said that two and a half wins is what you can bet on this year," Compton said.

Pavia and Co. are riding high on confidence this past month, especially after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 6.

Can Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt win the SEC?

Vanderbilt football is having a season to remember, and Diego Pavia is right at the center of it, having registered 1,391 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Commodores, now ranked No. 25 after a 24-14 win over Ball State in Week 8, are eyeing a potential SEC title, a scenario few would’ve predicted.

This is their first AP Poll appearance since 2013, and with a 5-2 record, coach Clark Lea’s squad is starting to make believers out of doubters. The Commodores’ offense, led by Pavia, thrives in high-pressure moments.

Offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s game plan relies on efficiency. Vanderbilt boasts a 52.1% third-down conversion rate—leading the SEC—and the top red-zone offense in the conference. They’ve also thrown only one interception all season, which is evidence of their ball management.

Coach Lea isn’t letting the hype get to his team, though.

"With respect to the potential of what this year could come to, is the understanding that we're going to have to play really well from here to the finish line have a chance at the postseason," Lea said.

"So we're not getting ahead of our skin. we're learning how to win, and now we're learning how to play big game after big game after big game," Lea continued.

Saturday’s matchup against No. 6 Texas is their biggest test yet. If the Commodores can pull off an upset, they’ll secure bowl eligibility for the first time in six years and possibly find themselves in the hunt for an SEC championship.